Computer Science Education Week is Underway

The eighth annual Computer Science Education Week is officially underway!
This international event is organized by Code.org and held in recognition of the birthday of computing pioneer Admiral Grace Murray Hopper. The event is dedicated to inspiring K-12 students to take interest in computer science and runs this year from December 5-11.
Teachers and students around the world are taking part in the celebration by holding their own Hour of Code events, described as one-hour introductions to computer science that are designed to demystify code, show that anybody can learn the basics and to broaden participation in the field of computer science.
Interested in creating an event? Organizers can register their events online and be added to this year’s event map:

CSEdWeek provides some great free resources to get you started, including one-hour tutorials on coding in over 45 languages. You can also follow along with participants on Twitter by searching #CSEdWeek or #HourofCode.
We’ve compiled some of our favorite blogs on the subject for your convenience:

Why Teach Coding?

• Teaching Kids to Code: An Economic and Social Justice Issue
• Is Coding the Most Important Language to Learn Right Now?
• 4 Myths to Bust on the Road to “Computer Science for All” Success

Resources for Teachers

• Experts Weigh in on K-12 Coding & CS Resources
• Teaching Students To Program in One Hour of Code
• Coding in the Classroom: How Teachers Are Learning to Code

Our Thoughts on the “Hour of Code”

• The Hour of Code – Join the Movement
• My Hour of Code
• A Challenge to Bring Making Into Hour of Code
• Coding in the Classroom: So Much More than an Hour

Resources for Principals and Superintendents

• How do We Prepare Teachers to Teach Coding?
• All Kids Coding in Rhode Island
• 3 Ways EdLeaders Can Level the Computer Science Literacy Playing Field

The good news is there is no rule that your Hour of Code event has to be this week–you can have your own coding event any time of the year. Spending even an hour to give students a foundational knowledge of this valuable professional skill can go a long way in preparing them for the future.

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